And for a Friday after the 74th Republic Day, some thoughts….. some musings…..
It’s so significant that on Republic Day, the President of India UNFURLS the national flag whilst on Independence Day the Prime Minister HOISTS the flag. I honestly realised only today at the Bangalore Club function when my Ex-Army friend explained that on Independence Day 1947, the National Tricolour was hoisted after bringing down the colonial flag as the moment of freedom as a Nation whereas the Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 but came into force two months later on 26th January 1950 when India was constituted into a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular Democratic Republic and the National Flag was unfurled.
As a Nation we have traversed a long distance. Those of us born in the fifties and sixties in India, have seen unimaginable life style changes. From land lines to book a Trunk Call at 180, a PP call and in super emergencies a “lightning” call; from sending Telegrams from post offices with code numbers and in some rare cases a goof up would take place and instead of a congratulatory message for a wedding, the wrong number is transmitted and the wedding party gets a condolence message instead; of long waits for a Bajaj scooter, to booking an Ambassador car and of Aluminium Billas for two bottles of Aarey milk. Then came the Asian Games and the advent of transistor valved Black and White TVs. I remember buying my first TV in Kolkata from a VGP branch in Gariahat, scheme called Hire Purchase, giving two sureties of which one had to be a Govt staff. Being a Management Trainee in 1975 with TATAs was not financially credible enough. That one time I indulged in also picking up a BUSH make 2 in 1 Tape recorder and Transistor. In the 74th year of the Republic all that sounds from prehistoric times.
Who could ever imagine India would be the fifth largest economy ousting UK and that Sudha Murthy, Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, will be awarded the Padma Bhushan on Republic day. The rejoice and good will message will also be from her Son-In-Law who just happens to be the Prime Minister of UK. Let us all cherish these symbolic moments, the historical way, the egalitarian way, the SEEGOS way.